At a meeting marking the start of production of its electric i4 model, the head of BMW production said on Friday that by 2024, BMW will stop producing internal combustion engines at its main factory in Munich. The ICE engines currently manufactured in Munich will be produced in BMW’s Austria and UK plants in the future. Production manager Milan Nedeljkovic said that although cars using these engines will still be assembled at the Munich plant.

However, the company said that by 2023, at least half of the vehicles produced in Munich will be electrified-battery-electric or plug-in hybrids.

BMW has set a goal for itself. By 2030, at least 50% of global new car sales will be electric vehicles. CEO Oliver Zipse said at a meeting last week that if Internal combustion engine vehicles are banned in any market, and the company will be ready to launch an all-electric vehicle. .

The company stated that the i4 pure electric vehicle was produced on a joint assembly line with ICE and hybrid models (such as BMW 3 Series sedan and Touring), and this transformation cost 200 million euros (233 million U.S. dollars or 1,746 crore rupees). In terms of production infrastructure.

A similar hybrid assembly line has already been carried out at the automaker’s Dingolfing plant, which produces BMW iX as well as hybrid and ICE models.
Plant manager Peter Weber said that the new model will give priority to the allocation of scarce chips. Nedeljkovic added that the company has sufficient stocks of other raw materials.

BMW has previously stated that due to the chip shortage that plagues global automakers, it is expected that this year’s car production will be 70,000 to 90,000 less than this year’s sales.

It also promised to reduce the transportation logistics emissions of the company’s largest Munich plant to zero in the next few years, but did not give a specific date.
It said this will be achieved by increasing the use of rail transport and battery-powered trucks to transport vehicles inside and outside the factory.

News Source: Gadgets360